The faucet and fixtures were removed and the only thing that worked was just leave it alone and let it dry out until you are happy with the results. We are at that point with the client now, the fabricator will return and seal the holes and edges and top. This is just the island sink, the main sink is even worse and the clients know they will not be able to use that sink for a few months! We are going to install a dehumidifier in the sink cabinet to try and help it along, heat did not help. FYI we are the General Contractors and we have agreements with our fabricator and the stone company that sold the slabs to the client directly that short of full success we will replace the counters. Brand new kitchen, massive island, and subway tile backsplash! Sealer will be MORE Premium stone sealer.

"...even worse and the clients know they will not be able to use that sink for a few months!"

Are you kidding me? In what universe is this acceptable?

You buy a new car and the dealer says "No driving for a few months."

No. Tear that crap out now while you still have a shred of decency and fair play. How's this going to look on your online review?

They have an island sink and we are setting up a dehumidifier to try and speed up the drying. Of course, the clients know, they made that decision. They love the counters; they chose the material, and the alternative is pick out a new material and demo everything! We are not deciding for the clients, they are making the decision. To be clear, Clients bought the material directly from the supplier, our subcontractor (The fabricator) Fabricated and installed the counters. We (The general contractor) at no cost to the client are paying for removal of the fixtures, drying out the counters, supervising the sealer applications and installing the fixtures.

Fair play? The client payed for the slabs directly and chose something completely different than what was discussed, (They own it since they bought it) The stone company is really the responsible party here, they sold the material! We are going above and beyond as we always do to assist our clients at substantial costs to us. So to be clear the clients are thrilled with their new kitchen, we are assisting in resolving the situation and even though we have no responsibility for the material purchase we are willing to replace the counters if the sealer solution fails.

Contractors don't make materials.

Fabricator did an excellent job on the fabrication and installation.

First time we have seen this issue.

Now we know and will educate future client decisions on countertops.

HU-455121471 absolutely!! I currently have this issue with a remodel we did 3 years ago for a client we have had for 12 years.

I sourced the stone from a "Luxury" dealer here in Dallas called Aria, and used the same fabricator I have used successfully for many years. When I contacted my fabricator he was concerened and is willing to split the cost for any sort of a solution.

The "Luxury" stone yard? Not so much. They just said, "we don't know" and blamed the fabricator, and I sincerely believe the fabricator didn't do anything wrong.

The material we installed is called Tahiti, and it is a porous stone. It SHOULD NOT be labeled a "Quartztite." At a minimum, it should be classified as a porous Quartzite. Google "Intermediate Quartzite vs "Crystalline Quartzite."

I'm very disappointed by the "Luxury" stone supplier. tThey should know better and educated professionals such as myself and the customer at the point of sale. I rely on my trade partners and vendors to be experts in their field and the products the sell.

Here is the information we should all know!!

https://www.stoneworld.com/articles/91843-stone-summit-theres-something-about-quartzite

https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/viewRecording/2192469479176284940/4721721158402262797/eoreilly@icpgroup.com?registrantKey=591764169418409484&type=ATTENDEEEMAILRECORDINGLINK

Funny thing is the client still does not have the double ovens yet and they just got the dishwasher, These days appliances are now a year. You plan for that then they tell you it has been delayed even more!

Countertops :

Mine look just like yours, except MSI sold it under a completely different name: Montreal White origin Brazil.

It is also extremely porous. Just as expensive as the Taj Mahal too. Fabricator DID NOT seak edges and that coukd be the problem. Im about to use tenex and seal it around all the edges. You might need to let it dry completely and then seal the edges- might as wekl reseal the top too.

Warning-

To anyone who is looking for the beauty & easy maintance of quartzite- be warned- if their is fiberglass in the back it might be fragile, if it has lines and does not look more crystalline it might be very porous and an ”intermedia quartzite” which does not have the same qualities. Make sure you seal the edges yourself or make sure you hire someone and put it in your contract with the fabricator/installer & test it.

Appliances warning & advice:

DO NOT BUY FROM APPLIANCES CONNECTION:

If you do get them, you might get some of them dented on the outside, even on the INSIDE. If you inspect yours, inspect it very very very carefully before accepting delivery or right away so that if the installation is delayed then you won’t have dented new appliances and the return window has closed, even if its a family member dying or a different hardship. I’m saying unwrap everything and play with it as if you were cooking in it/pretend load the DW, not just opening the box and looking for the obvious.

We installed ocean pearl quartzite in the kitchen and dry bar and I still am as in love as the day I saw it. My fabricator cleared the hardness and I did lots of tests before to be sure it was as hard as it needed to be. Our fabricator sealed it very well along with edges and all cuts and we have had 0 issues in 3 years fingers crossed. He advised to use a cleaner with sealer in it so everytime I wipe it down it is adding a small amount of sealer each time for maintenance. I love it so much I want it in my shower but def not sure I'd get so lucky with the super wet area so probably just going with porcelain. I do love the depth and character of quartzite so much, I just don't want a nightmare in my master bathroom remodel.

Update, After a few months and 6 coats of sealer the slabs are now stable. No help from the Fabricator or stone retailer that I will not name. We took a substantial hit financially but have a happy client and less debris in the landfill.

Sorry you took a financial hit for that, but thank you for being accountable and fixing the problem and preventing waste! Great job!

Thanks, everyone, for your comments! I am trying to be optimistic to get a water ring out. My husband left a bowl that was wet underneath on the counter overnight (I usually clear the counter and clean it obsessively, but didn’t that night :0). It’s been three nights and I have had a mini fan blowing air on it directly. It seems to be lightening slightly.

Should I give it a little more time before I freak out? I plan to reseal the counters again (with a different sealer than what the installer used), but don’t want to seal in the faded ring. Thanks again!

Skigirl308, Can’t imagine what you are going through! In what universe is a counter material not able to handle a wet bowl without staining?
Thanks to the many discussions on Houzz, I selected a not too busy granite for my kitchen currently underway. Quartzite? No thanks - counters need to not stain if something wet is put on!

I agree. I also think it wasn't sealed enough and perhaps the sealant used was substandard. If I can get this out, I am going to seal with something different. What's crazy is I did a ton of research, but most of the helpful comments on this thread were posted after my counters were installed last December. :( At least it's not marble! And I do like that it is resistant to higher heat than quartz.

Good luck with your project - glad you found a simpler granite!

@Charline LaCroix, your story's happy ending makes me feel a lot better!

@skigirl308 Let it dry first and then seal. It could take a few to several days. Just be patient and super careful and baby them until then. Super annoying, but worth it. We sealed the edges ourselves and now it’s not a problem at all. If there is a section of countertop that is seperate from the affected areas you could seal that and use that one temporarily while the affected area dries out too.

@dippitydoppitydoo Will do. Thank you. What sealer do you recommend?

What sealer does everyone recommend?

Tenax Proseal.

@skigirl308 I used what @Joseph Corlett, LLC suggests which is tenax proseal. You do need to take precautions and be careful about streakiness, but it works like a charm! From angry and frustrated about thirsty ”quartzite” to now worrifree work surface. Also dont forget to do all edges around sink, cutouts etc.

Thank you @dippitydoppitydoo!

Here is what it looked like when I pulled off the plastic and cleaned the poultice/Zep mix. It’s promising that it’s all the same color, hopefully as it dries out, it will look even and back to normal.

Joseph Troskie Design, what were the end results after drying?

It looks great! I want to treat around the sink again, but all areas have dramatically improved!

Wow that’s amazing. How long did you leave it on?

@ Sarah Do 4 days, current dry time is 2 weeks.

Also Joseph how and was it before you treated it?

This is before treatment

Looking back I don’t see exactly what you used…..just says zep/poultice mix. Did you link it somewhere? This is how our edges currently look! We got manga macchia for another stain but wasn’t sure if it would also work on edges or if we needed something else

Yes I used ZEP Purple Degreaser mixed with Poulitce Plus. I mixed them in a big freezer bag and piped it like icing. You want to the mix to be thick like a paste, but loose enough to smear. Wear gloves or the poulitce plus will dry out your hands badly (I learned this the hard way) You can find both products on Amazon.

Hi, my fabricator just installed yesterday a counter top that looked perfect last week and now has a huge stain, must have left it soaked on edges that have an opening? Please see these photos, I put a paste of baking soda and water and covered with saran wrap and am praying. Should I try the zep purple degreaser mix with poulitce plus? Maybe there was oil contamination in the fabricator's recycled water setup? What is your opinion and suggestion? Should I use a paste made of hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to whiten the stain? Should I do this before the installer seals it tomorrow?

Please help!

It's Casablanca Quartzite. I was told it would be more resistent to granite which I had my whole life and NEVER gave me an issue.

Thank you, this thread is giving me a little bit of hope, we have the same issues with our quartzite counter tops. I bought both products (Zep and Poultice), and will try the mixing in a zip lock bag and piping technique. Did you cover with saran wrap for the 4 days? or just leave the paste on the counter?

Did you call the fabricator to let them know? It may just be water left over from their cleaning process and just needs to evaporate/absorb.
The day mine were installed there were some water marks that disappeared within a few days.

Take a Bernz-O-Matic to that stain first please.

Joseph, what's the technique for using the Bernz-O-Matic ?

Get it good and hot, you won't be able to touch it, but don't go crazy. If it's going to go, it will usually do so right before your eyes.

Joseph, someone else told me once to try a hairdryer, which didn’t work. I’m wondering if it’s bc it doesn’t get hot enough or if the hairdryer not working means we need a diff treatment all together. Any experience w that?

We had silicone bleed on newly installed quartzite. Acetone applied and almost all gone. Now we have to apply silicone to where quartzite meets the wall and put tile backsplash in.

Can anyone recommend a silicone for perimeters that won’t bleed? Tks so much afraid to add new problem places.

We had quartzite installed and looked beautiful.As soon as the sealer was applied by installers, my stone started having these weird looking spots!!!??🥺 So DISAPPOINTED!

🙇🏿‍♀️🙇🏿‍♀️

"Can anyone recommend a silicone for perimeters that won’t bleed?"

I'd test some polyurethane caulk.

Anna maybe once it dries the spots will go away

@Joseph Troskie Design - That was great how you fixed it. Granite Direct in Central Ohio is being terrible about. They fabricated and installed my Nuage Quartzite countertops. Water stains them easily and doesn't come out every time. They got oil stains the same day as install. All of this was told to me that as long as they were sealed "properly" they would never have an issue with it. Now that I have an issue, they claim that my issue is one of "personal preference." They even say they gave me written documents telling me that quartzite can't be exposed to water and must always be wiped up "immediately." Can't make this stuff up, it's so crazy. They gave me a poultice I can use to remove stains and some more sealer I can use myself and act like that's a favor they are doing me. It did help to reseal, but it looks like I'm going to have to seal basically constantly, not just every 6 months. I'm someone who went in saying I am only interested in something low maintenance because I have a busy family, and this is how they steered me and then lied about it. I respect those of you who are willing to baby your countertops, but I actually did not want to sign up for this!! I want my kids to be able to bake cookies and wash their hands in the bathroom and not worry about stains....Here's a photo of a water ring after it has been airing out for days, and this is after the countertop has been sealed multiple times in the past month or two. Apparently I cannot have a candle next to the sink in the bathroom anymore.

@dippitydoppitydoo I wish I saw your comment prior to choosing White Montreal from MSI in my new home build. I started noticing random spots on the countertops the week I moved in. Its been 3 months now and the builders warranty rep has just been giving me the runaround without a solution. I am unable to enjoy my new home and basically unable to use my kitchen. What did you do to remove the stains prior to sealing?

@rachelgarrett this is the sealer that has been a lifesaver for me.

Stain Proof Premium Impregnating Sealer - 1 Quart, Protects Against Stains, Water Damage & Dissolved Salts, Sealer for Granite, Marble, Tile & Stone; for Indoor & Outdoor Application https://a.co/d/bMjHnHj

It’s been almost a year since I sealed. Water continues to bead on the countertops and I have had no staining. I’m going to find an article where I first learned about it; will post that link next.

Here’s the article:

https://evolutionofstyleblog.com/the-best-sealer-for-quartzite-countertops/

The Stone Tech stain remover did not work (it made the stain worse by lightening the area, which eventually returned to normal, but it took many months). But the Stain Proof sealer and Stain Proof daily cleaner have been fantastic!

@skigirl308 What stain remover worked for you?

@pri v this is a “recipe” provided to me by a local countertop company. It takes time and patience, but has worked very well for me.
Please excuse my messy handwriting! 😉

Thanks sso much!

My countertops were installed 7 weeks ago. Mont Blanc quartzite. after they were installed my fabricator said they were wet and could not be sealed until they dried. At the time they said probably 3 days. Seven weeks later they still have visible wet spots and counters are not sealed. We haven’t been able to use kitchen or connect cooktop or hood. Anyone have an experience like this taking months to dry? Any advice is appreciated.